Economy, Agriculture

Farming engages 2 percent of the total labor force and produces sufficient quantities to make Belgium a net food exporter. About two-thirds of the farms are intensively cultivated units of less than 10 hectares (25 acres). Some 25 percent of the country is under cultivation. In 2001 the leading crops were sugar beets (5.3 million metric tons), potatoes (2.8 million), wheat (1.6 million), and barley (370,000). Other important crops include fruits, tomatoes, and flax. Livestock and dairy farming are major agricultural industries. In 2001 the livestock population of Belgium numbered some 7.2 million pigs, 3.2 million cattle, 155,000 sheep, and 67,000 horses.